The present invention relates to a symmetrically contoured support pillow. More particularly, the present invention involves a contoured stuffed pillow having symmetrically contoured sides to provide support to an adult in a sleeping position or to cradle an expectant mother, each in a variety of positions, without having to adjust the pillow to obtain the correct relationship.
A preliminary search was conducted on the present invention and the following patents were uncovered in the search.
The Kelly Pat. No. 6,065,848 does not show the contours of the inner design of the present invention. Kelly is simply a U-shaped pillow with straight edges and does not conform by way of shape to the user""s body. The instant pillow is convex shaped on the inner mid sections making it conform to the body and allows for greater back or belly support. The ends of the pillow allow it to turn inward and meet which provides for even greater support without having to constantly reposition the pillow. In Kelly, the ends are straight and not curved. Kelly requires a band to have it pulled inward, where the instant pillow, by the way it is shaped, naturally curves inward at the ends.
The Brownrigg Pat. No. 6,088,854, again, is just a straight form of an elongated pillow that has to be folded and pulled inward to achieve the amount of support or shape that the user desires. It appears to also have to use a separate traditional pillow for head support. The instant pillow has its own head pillow in the form of a semi-circular crown at the upper part of the pillow.
Leach Pat. No. 6,499,164 does not allow for equal amounts of tummy and back support simultaneously. While there are features of the Leach pillow, such as the horseshoe shaped top, and the J-shaped bottom that does curve around and provide support and cushioning, it is not equal on both sides as the instant pillow is. With the present invention, the user can lie on her right side and receive the same amount of the support as if she were turned on the opposite side. Also, the inner columnar section of the Leach pillow does not have a convex section which fits into the user""s lower back, or neck area if the pillow were turned 180 degrees.
Rumage Pat. D420,845 is a design patent and, again, reference should be made to the distinguishing features outlined in relation to Kelly and Brownrigg. The inner section of the pillow is straight and has no convex shape that would fit snugly into the user""s lower back or abdomen. Also the ends are rounded and do not come inward towards themselves. They are straight and open. The instant pillow naturally comes together towards itself, with a spring like quality. The Rumage pillow is for the neck and does not have any full body benefits.
Myers Pat. No. 2,795,802 is should be considered in light of the above comments regarding Kelly and Brownrigg.
Jacobson Pat. No. D201,492 is also a design patent and is asymmetrical in its features. It does not support the entire body simultaneously as the instant pillow does, and cannot be crossed over at the ends to provide additional elevation.
Varaney Pat. No. 4,173,048 is quite similar to the Kelly patent. There are no convex contours and the ends are open and not spring-like. Limited support is achieved since it does not conform to the body, but is straight and must be tucked around the body to achieve any level of snugness or support.
Chap Pat. No. 5,026,315 is a toy and not a sleeping device. It has no full body features. The ends are round and open and do not meet. The inner section is straight.
Gearhart Pat. No. 5,647,076 is broadly similar to Kelly and Brownrigg as to one part of the two piece pillow. The Gearhart pillow is designed for a person to lie in the prone or face down position. Also, an extra piece is used to make the pillow widen.
Schaffner et al., Pat. No. 5,987,674 is a non-symmetrical pillow. If the user turns from side to side, she does not receive the same amount of support while turning, as she does with the instant pillow. A pregnant woman must lie on her side predominately during the last few months of her pregnancy. The instant pillow allows her to rest comfortably whether she is on her left side or right side with the same amount of support simultaneously. The side xe2x80x9cmirrorxe2x80x9d each other. The Schaffner pillow does not allow the user to double the ends over each other to achieve greater elevation. It is limited in the amount of full body support it provides.
The Akey Pat. No. 5,978,990 has several separate attachments and extensions. The extensions must be moved and separated from the main pillow to achieve the desired amount of support. The instant pillow is all one piece and the user can pull each independent section closer to the body without having to disengage the pillow as with the Akey patent. Akey does not show an convex bulges.
The present invention involves an inverted xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped pillow, the upper end of which is formed by a semi-circular crown for the user""s head to rest against. There are two symmetrically and downwardly extending legs which represent the legs of the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d. The legs of the inverted U extend divergently outward and downwardly and terminate in a pair of toes that are curved inwardly towards each other such that they essentially abut or touch each other. The legs are further provided convex bulges essentially midway of the length of the legs, and these bulges project inwardly towards each other. The resulting effect of the inner shape of the opening between the legs resembles a hourglass.
The pillow of the present invention allows the user to sleep on the right or left side without having to reposition, tie, secure or disengage anything from the pillow. Many women are required by their shapes, in the latter part of their pregnancies, to sleep on the side and not on the back as the extra weight and pressure of the baby presses down on the vena cava and disturbs normal blood flow. By sleeping on the side, especially on the left side, it allows normal blood flow and does not cause pressure on the large blood vessels that run posterior to the uterus. The pillow of the present invention allows a person to turn from side to side without having to reposition anything. The convex bulges naturally fit inwardly to the body, back and tummy, and the toes, which curve inwardly, hold the legs in place. If the user desires to turn the pillow up side down, the user can double over the toes and elevate the pillow to get the effect of using two pillows (toes)under the head.